Testing a novel human-nature connection model with Halifax's urban forest using a text-messaging engagement strategy

Urban nature has the capacity to enrich the lives of those experiencing it, yet research shows that fewer and fewer humans feel this connection. While experiences with nature continue to decline, engagement with personal technology is on the rise. To engage people with urban trees, we sought to apply this technology in a new way. Text-A-Tree served as a two-month engagement project in which visitors to the Halifax Public Gardens (Nova Scotia, Canada) could send text messages to fifteen selected trees. Trees had unique personalities which were maintained by volunteers who wrote messages in response. Interactions were managed behind-the-scenes using Zendesk, a web-based customer-service platform. Between July 7 and August 31, 2019, a total of 10,643 messages were received from 2,888 unique phone numbers. While values such as beauty and shade were expressed, qualitative analysis revealed what participants most valued about the exchange was the opportunity to develop a relationship with trees. Participants conducted themselves politely, often asking about the trees' backstories, likes, interests, and wellbeing. Survey results showed that this sense of connection extended to trees beyond the gardens. Participants reported the greatest change in their connection to urban trees as stemming from the process of learning.